Well, Someone Had To Be Nice
by KyliaQuilor
Summary: Sequel to Alright Gentlemen, How Do We Kill Lash? Lincoln Campbell really shouldn't have expected much from a meeting that included both Skye and the Ward siblings - they didn't like or trust her, she didn't like or trust them... A wonderful recipe for success.


**Disclaimer:** Nope. Nope. Not mine. Not ever, unfortunately

 **Note 1:** I am having entirely too much fun with this AU oneshot series.

 **Note 2:** Well, Who knows if I did Lincoln's voice right. If this was a fic that I took more seriously rather than a randomish series of plot bunnies gone wild, I'd have gone and watched some of his scenes. As it is, if you think I have him OOC, tell me, and I'll see what I can do to correct it in future installments.

Well, Someone Had To Be Nice

By Alkeni

 **Office Building, Topeka, Kansas**

 **March 13th, 2016**

Lincoln was not a fan of Grant Ward.

Given that he worked for S.H.I.E.L.D. - sort of - and Skye was his friend – their brief attempt at dating had ended with them both realizing they just didn't click – and he was friends with Fitz and Simmons and even got along with Hunter pretty well. He wouldn't call himself friendly with any of the other agents in the core team, but he got along with the rest of the agents that ran backend for Skye and her team of Inhumans – such as Agent Booker, who'd greeted the Wards at the elevator.

But like Ward or not – and he really didn't, given all the evil things the man had done, and done to people he liked and given that the man was opposed the side he'd chosen with some reservations... Lincoln also knew that he needed to be the bigger man. He didn't like Ward, but it wasn't personal. Ward had done nothing to him, and technically, the guy had been vital to saving his life back in that arctic base.

Coulson was right. They couldn't take on Lash alone, but together, S.H.I.E.L.D. and Ward's little organization – and what on earth could they be called, since as far as Lincoln knew they didn't have a name – they might have a chance. And that meant they had to work with the guy and his sister.

And Skye didn't like or trust either Ward – at all – and neither Ward liked or trusted Skye. Which meant he had to be the one to open a dialogue, and that meant being the nice one in the equation.

"It occurs to me, Sparkplug, that no one mentioned what weapons you have on you. Since you know ours and Skye said she had the one pistol."

"The same pistol I had in San Juan." Skye said calmly, and Lincoln looked away, biting his lip a little at Skye's needless antagonism of the Wards. He saw Grant Ward's face go dark for a moment, then it returned to normal.

"I didn't bring a weapon." Lincoln replied calmly. "Unlike the other three of you, I'm here to try and see us work together."

"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't interested in the death of Lash." Ward replied. "If that means working together to do it, then fine."

"I'm just here to make sure doesn't shoot my brother again." Rose replied with a smirk.

"Can we stay on topic?" Lincoln asked. He'd never met Lash when he'd stayed at Afterlife – he'd been too far gone even for Jiaying at her worst – but he'd heard stories of the fanatical purist, the maniac possessed of a desire to keep the Inhuman race completely pure – and even smaller than it was. He'd had little to do before the rise of the 'NuHumans', since the Elders had been so careful to control access to the terrigen crystals, but now?

Now he and his growing band of fanatics and purists had a real target. And Skye was on the top of their list, even if she wasn't the only one he wanted to kill.

"Lash has killed dozens of NuHumans and hundreds of regular people along the way. He's not going to stop until every Inhuman who doesn't agree with him and match his definition of purity and worthiness is dead."

"And what exactly can we do about it but what we are? Find the NuHumans where we can, protect them and fight Lash and his men. That's what I've been doing." Ward pointed out.

"Alongside amassing a warchest of money from your attacks on Hydra affiliates and an arsenal of weapons you've captured doing the same. If you really wanted to stop Lash, you would be focusing on just that." Skye countered. "And just _what_ are you doing with all that money and those weapons, Ward?"

"Could you be clear which one of us you mean? We're both called Ward." Rose pointed out.

Lincoln pressed his hands to his temples. "Can we _please_ stay on topic!"

"Why? This is so much more fun, Sparkplug." Rose smirked. Rolling her eyes, she nodded. "Fine. Topic."

"Yes. And stop calling me Sparkplug, _please_." Lincoln replied. He took a breath. "As far as we know, Lash has maybe two dozen Inhumans that he works with directly, but he does have sympathizers as well. And we have no idea where his base of operations is."

"Well, you guys had a teleporter before, no?" Ward asked. "Can't he have one? Track him the way Hydra did."

"We thought of that." Skye replied managing to keep her tone professional now. _Thank you Jesus._ "But if he does have someone like that, then their powers don't work like Gordon's."

"There's an Inhuman – there _was_ – an Inhuman named Viktor Alevich." Lincoln said. "I'd heard he'd died, but he was apparently able to create tunnels from one point to the other – sort of like Gordon's teleporting, but slower." Lincoln shook his head. "That's the only other Inhuman I'd heard of in recent memory that could do anything like what Gordon could do. His abilities were what made it possible for us to keep Afterlife's location almost completely secret for the first time in ever.

"How is he supposed to have died?" Ward asked carefully. "Because I've met someone who came back from the dead once. And a few others who were 'supposed' to be dead."

"I don't know. I'd just heard he'd died a while back." Lincoln replied. "The most reasonable option is for us to _both_ go to the same NuHuman reports and catch Lash there, between both of our groups."

"You win by going for the enemy, not hoping they walk conveniently into your trap." Ward replied bitterly. "Smart enemies have a way of turning your traps against you."

"Like May did on you and Agent 33." Skye said, spitefully. Even as she said it, Lincoln could see Skye bit her lip, as if realizing she'd crossed a line. And she had. Ward was standing, both of his pistols drawn, one at Skye and one at...

 _Hey, I didn't say anything!_ Lincoln liked Skye. He really did. But something about Ward could bring out the worst in her. Sometimes, he wondered if she still had some kind of remnant feelings for him.

"Her name was Kara." Ward said coldly, all emotion gone from his voice.

Lincoln watched as Skye pulled out her own pistol, keeping it aimed a Ward, and then watched as Rose took out her guns...

"We've got more people in this building, Ward. You're not going to shoot. You're especially not going to shoot-"

"Skye, you really shouldn't count on the idea that I'm never going to shoot you. Like I said in Paris, I don't harbor any illusions about what you think about me." Ward clicked the safety off both his weapons, almost in unison with Rose doing the same.

"Is this really what we're going to do? This was supposed to be a nice, _peaceful_ talk." Lincoln stood up himself, holding out his hands. "Lash is the guy we all hate, right?"

"I'm not fond of the fucker, but as far as hate is concerned, Skye's the target." Rose replied.

"You can tell Coulson I'm still willing to help stop Lash as long as he's willing to keep up his end of the bargain." Ward took a careful step back, nodding at Rose, who stood directly behind him and opened the door. "But not as long as you're involved."

"Ward-" Skye started. _It's a little late, Skye._

"Save it. I hope you'll like explaining to him how you failed at your mission because you couldn't control yourself." Rose stepped through the door, and Ward was right behind him. The room was silent until they heard the sound of an elevator beep and the doors open and close.

Lincoln turned to Skye. "Really?"

Skye bit her lip again for a long moment, then, "I was about to apologize for it-"

"You shouldn't have said it in the first place. Now granted, neither of them did anything to calm things down, but you were just as much part of the nastiness. Don't like them? I don't either! But Coulson's right – we need help dealing with Lash, and Ward and his people are the best option."

"We could always bring in the Avengers. AC-"

"The Avengers are kind of a blunt instrument, Skye. This doesn't call for that. You know that, I know that, and Coulson knows that. He's a better option than one of the Hydra factions."

"He _is_ a Hydra faction." Skye countered, crossing her arms in front of her.

"If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck and walks like a duck, it's a duck, not a goose." Lincoln said. He frowned even as he said that. "Okay, they didn't sound very good, but you get my point! Whatever the hell his group is, they're the best option on hand for this. And you screwed it up!"

Skye looked away and took a breath. "Yea, I did. Alright?'" The harsh defensiveness was gone from her tone. "Ward's got a way of..."

"Bringing the worst out in you, yea, I know. It's not like you to shoot _anyone_ in the back." Lincoln pointed out, his own voice still level and calm. "It happened, mistakes were made, and now we need to figure out how to get things moving again. You don't think Coulson's going to change his mind?"

Skye shook his head. "He doesn't like to, and he had a point the first time he suggested it, and he still does now." She looked at him. "You do realize you're going to have to be the peacemaker, right?"

Lincoln blinked. "Crap." Now he regretted being nice.


End file.
